My Home Ideas

Special Offers

Be the first to know about This Old House contests, sweepstakes, and events and receive special offers and promotions from your favorite home improvement brands. We'll even send you regular reminders to enter our sweepstakes.

Step 5

Step 6

Difficulty: Moderate

One day

$10 per square foot for stone; about $30 per cubic yard for stone dust

Q: We want to lay a stepping-stone path in our yard. Can we do it ourselves?—Lorraine Idson, Jamaica Plain, Mass.

Roger Cook replies: Absolutely. A pathway made of stone pavers is a great way to save your lawn from being trampled and compacted by foot traffic. And it certainly is an easy, one-day project for most DIYers. The hardest parts of the process are the labor of mixing the wet stone dust that serves as the pavers' base and then lifting and moving the stones.

Go to your local stone yard and look for pieces at least 1 1/2 inches thick and about 24 inches wide. Pieces that size aren't likely to crack, and no cutting is required; you simply adjust their spacing to fit a natural stride and to make the path curved or straight.

Once you determine the spacing, the digging and the setting go quickly. Start in the morning, and invite guests over that evening for a stroll across your handiwork.

Shown: Roger Cook determines the spacing between each stone before doing any digging.